Rajahmundry: Mass hysteria symptoms in school put officials on alert

Rajahmundry: Several students are turning hysterical, fainting without visible reasons, or collapsing, displaying symptoms of a health disorder known as 'Vasovagal Syncope' at ‘the Zilla Parishad High School at China Kapavaram village of Akiveedu mandal in West Godavari in the last three days.
So far, as many as 42 students, both boys and girls, studying from Classes VI to X have developed such symptoms.

According to medical and health authorities, the students reach the school as chirpy as ever but the symptoms appear while they are seated in their classrooms and are listening to their teachers. The symptoms appear to be contagious, spreading from one student to the other.

On July 18, as many as 18 students showed such symptoms followed by 10 on July 20 and 15 on Thursday. All students are safe at present. However as a precautionary measure, three students have been sent to community health centre at Bhimavaram for observation and to provide medical care if necessary.

The authorities formed a four-member team of specialist doctors and sent them to the village to monitor the health condition of the students in the school.
Health personnel are carrying out door-to-door survey in the village and collected water samples to analyse to find out any possible reason for the health problem.

Peda Kapavaram PHC medical officer T. Ravi Kiran Reddy said, "It is similar to mass hysteria as the students are developing the symptoms after seeing one another. Fortunately all affected children are fine.”

West Godavari district medical and health officer K. Koteswari said, “We are examining the case closely as it never happened in the school before and the students are showing such symptoms for some time and becoming normal after a while. We have recommended for examination of the children by the psychiatrist and neuro physician."

Meanwhile, school education authorities have declared holiday to the school until next Tuesday from July 22.